Planning a family holiday around school dates is never as simple as one national calendar. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all work differently, and even within England and Scotland the exact dates can change by council, academy trust, school, or staff training day.
This guide gives the main 2026/2027 school holiday patterns for UK families, plus the official places to check before you book. Treat the dates below as a planning guide, not permission to assume your child’s school is off on those exact days.
The short version
For many schools in England, autumn half-term in the 2026/2027 school year falls on 26-30 October, Christmas runs from around 21 December to early January, February half-term is commonly 15-19 February, Easter is around 26 March to 9 April, and summer half-term is 31 May to 4 June. But that is a common pattern, not a national rule.
Wales publishes approved local-authority dates centrally. Scotland is much more local, with councils setting their own calendars. Northern Ireland publishes common non-operational dates for schools, although schools still have some discretion.
England school holiday dates 2026/2027
England does not have one national set of school holiday dates. GOV.UK tells parents to check term dates through their local council, and schools such as academies, voluntary-aided schools, and foundation schools can differ.
| Holiday | Common pattern for many English councils |
|---|---|
| Summer half-term 2026 | 25-29 May 2026Useful for late-May package comparisons. |
| Summer holiday 2026 | From around 22 July to early September 2026Exact start date varies by council and school. |
| Autumn half-term 2026 | 26-30 October 2026A common council pattern, not a national rule. |
| Christmas 2026/2027 | Around 21 December 2026 to early January 2027Many schools return on 4 January, but check locally. |
| February half-term 2027 | 15-19 February 2027Common in many English council calendars. |
| Easter 2027 | 26 March-9 April 2027This aligns with Good Friday and Easter Monday in England and Wales. |
| Summer half-term 2027 | 31 May-4 June 2027Spring Bank Holiday falls on 31 May. |
| Summer holiday 2027 | From around 22 July 2027Some schools finish earlier or later. |
England dates must be checked by postcode or school. Academies and some other schools can set different dates.
Use the GOV.UK school term dates checker for your postcode, then check your school’s own calendar before booking. Bury Council’s 2026/2027 calendar is a useful example of the common English pattern, but it is not a national calendar.
Wales school holiday dates 2026/2027
The Welsh Government has published approved school term dates for 2026/2027 by local authority. Most Welsh councils follow the same broad pattern, though Powys differs on some end dates.
| Holiday | Most Welsh local authorities |
|---|---|
| Autumn half-term 2026 | 26-30 October 2026 |
| Christmas 2026/2027 | From 19 or 21 December 2026 to early January 2027Return arrangements vary slightly. |
| Spring half-term 2027 | 8-12 February 2027 |
| Easter 2027 | 20 March-4 April 2027Most local authorities use this pattern. |
| Summer half-term 2027 | 31 May-4 June 2027 |
| Summer holiday 2027 | From around 20 July 2027Powys differs on some end dates. |
The Welsh Government publishes approved dates by local authority, so use that page for the final check.
Check the Welsh Government approved school term dates for your local authority before booking.
Scotland school holiday dates 2026/2027
Scottish school holidays vary more sharply by council. Some pupils return in mid-August, while others go back later in the month. October, February, Easter, and summer dates also vary by local authority.
| Holiday | Common Scottish pattern |
|---|---|
| Return after summer 2026 | August 2026Often mid-August, but council dates vary. |
| October holiday 2026 | Often one or two weeks in OctoberDumfries and Galloway lists 12-23 October. |
| Christmas 2026/2027 | Late December to early JanuaryExact return date varies. |
| February break 2027 | Usually early or mid-FebruaryCouncil patterns differ. |
| Spring/Easter 2027 | Late March or early April to mid-AprilScotland does not mirror England in every council. |
| Summer holiday 2027 | Usually late June or early JulyStirling ends term on 25 June, Dumfries and Galloway on 2 July. |
Scotland is highly local. Use mygov.scot or your council website before booking.
For example, Dumfries and Galloway lists an autumn holiday from 12-23 October 2026, a Christmas holiday from 21 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, and a summer holiday from 5 July to 20 August 2027. Stirling’s 2026/2027 calendar starts pupils on 12 August 2026 and ends the summer term on 25 June 2027. That difference is exactly why you need the council or school calendar.
Use mygov.scot school term dates to find the right Scottish council page.
Northern Ireland school holiday dates 2026/2027
Northern Ireland publishes common non-operational dates for schools. The Department of Education notes that schools can operate on these dates at their own discretion, and schools can also take staff training and development days.
| Event | Northern Ireland dates |
|---|---|
| Schools resume | 1 September 2026 |
| Halloween | 29-30 October 2026 |
| Christmas and New Year | 21 December 2026-1 January 2027 |
| Mid-term | 11-12 February 2027 |
| St Patrick’s Day | 17 March 2027 |
| Easter | 25 March-2 April 2027 |
| May Day | 3 May 2027 |
| Spring Bank Holiday | 31 May 2027 |
| Summer holiday begins | 1 July 2027 |
The Department of Education says schools may operate on these dates at their own discretion.
Check the Department of Education school holidays page before booking. For 2026/2027, Northern Ireland also has three additional closure days linked to the TransformED NI programme: 25 September 2026, 25 January 2027, and 4 May 2027.
Bank holidays that affect school travel in 2026 and 2027
Bank holidays can push travel prices up even when they do not create a full school holiday. The key England and Wales bank holidays during the 2026/2027 school year include Good Friday on 26 March 2027, Easter Monday on 29 March 2027, Early May bank holiday on 3 May 2027, and Spring Bank Holiday on 31 May 2027.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have extra bank holidays, so check the official UK bank holiday list as well as your school calendar.
How to use school holiday dates to find better travel prices
The cheapest family trips usually sit just outside the biggest school-holiday pinch points. If your school breaks up a day later or returns a day earlier than a neighbouring council, that can change flight and package prices.
- Check your exact school calendar before you search for flights or packages.
- Compare nearby airports, especially if you live near more than one school-holiday pattern.
- Price the first and last few days of a holiday separately. A one-day shift can matter.
- Be careful with term-time travel. Schools can mark it as unauthorised absence, and fines may apply.
Once you have the dates, compare current holiday deals, flight deals, and hotel deals before you commit.
Sources checked
- GOV.UK school term and holiday dates checker
- Welsh Government approved school term dates 2026 to 2027
- Department of Education Northern Ireland school holidays
- GOV.UK UK bank holidays
- Bury Council school term dates and Dumfries and Galloway Council school term dates, used as examples of local variation
Jane Robinson is Senior Editor at Flight Tribe. She has a Master’s in English and Journalism, and writes about flight deals, holiday offers and practical ways UK travellers can spend less without wasting time on weak promotions. Jane has spent time living and working across Asia and New Zealand, which gave her a lasting interest in how people travel, eat, move around and spend their free time in different places.
At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on verified prices, realistic travel dates, booking terms and whether a deal is actually worth attention.
How Jane works
Jane checks offers against live supplier pages wherever possible, including prices, dates, departure points, baggage rules and booking conditions. She is quietly sceptical of anything that sounds too good to be true, and helps keep Flight Tribe’s travel advice useful, honest and easy to act on.
Editorial standards
Flight Tribe covers deals for readers first. Affiliate links do not decide whether an offer is worth writing about.
For more about how the site works, read:
